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Wesley Henson, Alex Boswell- Ebersole , Molly Carver, Cristian Pacheco

Environmental Flow Policy Analysis for the Tempisque River; Costa Rica Employing Stakeholder Driven Data Collection to Inform Water Management Decisions. Wesley Henson, Alex Boswell- Ebersole , Molly Carver, Cristian Pacheco Skills Practicum, Summer 2012. Overview. Introduction

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Wesley Henson, Alex Boswell- Ebersole , Molly Carver, Cristian Pacheco

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  1. Environmental Flow Policy Analysis for the Tempisque River; Costa RicaEmploying Stakeholder Driven Data Collection to Inform Water Management Decisions Wesley Henson, Alex Boswell-Ebersole, Molly Carver, Cristian Pacheco Skills Practicum, Summer 2012

  2. Overview • Introduction • Project Scope • Surface Water • Groundwater • Importance of hydrology in ecological systems • Environmental Flow Analysis • Stakeholder Analysis • Law and Policy Framework Analysis • Traditional Ecological Knowledge

  3. Introduction

  4. Scoping Questions • Are the proposed environmental flows adequate for maintaining the ecological integrity of the Tempisque River? • What changes in the Legal/Policy framework are necessary to implement an environmental flow? • What tools can be developed to enhance our understanding of the system?

  5. Surface Water • Principle flow contributions • precipitation • return flows from irrigation District • groundwater • 72% of rain from June to November • Floods in the wet season • Low/No flow during the dry season • Available data is limited

  6. Groundwater • Often, groundwater is the only source of potable water for population centers • Over the last decade, 93% increase in well construction. • Over 9,886 estimated wells • Aquifers over-exploited • Extensive tourism development • Municipal Use • Agricultural production • Yet… VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE AQUIFERS

  7. Importance of Hydrology in Ecological Systems The hydrologic regime: • Shapes the evolution, distribution, and stability of aquatic biota and ecological processes • Retention of sediments and organic matter • Pollutant transport • Water depth and temperature • Available dissolved oxygen for aquatic life. • Can alter riparian habitats.

  8. Environmental Flow • Environmental flows should consider • minimum amount of flow • variation in flow regimes • low flows • seasonal highs • flood peaks • extraordinary events • Environmental Flows Should be • legally defensible • scientifically defensible • administratively feasible Human Needs Ecological Health

  9. Evaluation of Proposed Environmental Flow

  10. Stakeholder Analysis • Agriculture Industry • Subsistence Users • Local and Federal Governments • AyA • MINAET • MINSA • SENARA • SETENA • ICE • Local communities • Aquaculture • Tourism • Fishing Industry (Gulf of Nicoya)

  11. Current Water Law • MINAETgrants the concessions • Concessions (required for all uses except domestic) • Only two criteria • Duration = 30 years max • Creates a hierarchy of priorities for competing applicants (but – based on values 1940’s values) • Existing users still entitled to use water (even if they cant prove acquisition of use was legal)

  12. Problems with the Current Framework • The Water Law is old • The hierarchy established is out of date • No institutional coordination • They operate pursuant to their own self-interested regulations • SENARA’s Fee for Irrigation water • No incentive for conservation or efficiency • No procedure for establishing environmental flow

  13. Why Advocate for the Passage of New Water Bill? • Facilitates Institutional Coordination (Creates NDWR) • Decisions made in consideration of hydrologic basin scale • Establishes a hierarchy of uses (like the current law) BUT these uses are determined by standards set by each Hydrologic Unit • Maximum concession duration = 20 years • Establishes procedure for setting environmental flow • “flow required to satisfy permanent ecosystem needs”

  14. Traditional Ecological Knowledge “All types of knowledge about the environment derived from the experiences and traditions of a particular group of people". (Esselman, Opperman, 2000)

  15. Citizen Driven Data Collection • People have a vested interest in water management • Data is limiting factor in decision-making • Take advantage of Traditional Ecological Knowledge • Train citizens to collect data about surface water and groundwater • Simple methods • Groundwater levels • River Stage • Flow velocity • Establish a central data base to store collected data so it is available to stakeholders

  16. Take Home Message • Proposed environmental flow methodology is sound • New water legislation should be passed to facilitate better water management • TEK and Citizen Driven science may be able to fill the huge gaps in understanding of the system

  17. QUESTIONS?

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